In this issue...

Lobbying Reminders when the House Sits

MPPs returned to Queen’s Park on March 23.

With the Legislative Assembly back in session, lobbyists and senior officers are encouraged to review their responsibilities under the Lobbyists Registration Act, 1998. Here are some important obligations to keep in mind.
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Events at Queen’s Park

If you plan to host a lobby day or a reception at Queen’s Park, you should be aware that your activities during the event could meet the definition of lobbying under the Act.

It’s important that you review and update your registration after the event to reflect any changes, including to your lobbying targets if you speak to MPPs and their staff. You have 30 days to update your registration with new information.

You can consult the Office’s Interpretation Bulletin #1: Am I Lobbying? to learn more about what counts as lobbying.

Bills and Regulations

The Legislative Assembly may pass bills and regulations that could affect the information on your registration.

If you are lobbying about a bill, include its full name – not just the number – in the “Bill or Resolution” category under the Lobbying Activity section.

You may also be lobbying about the creation or amendment of a regulation. You should describe this work under “Regulation” in the Lobbying Activity section. Be sure to include the full name and number of the regulation and the associated Act.

You can consult the Office’s Lobbying Activity resource or contact the Office if you have questions about bills or regulations.

Committees

Your lobbying activity may include communicating with members of legislative committees. You can review which MPP is on each committee on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario website.

If you are lobbying an MPP because of their role on a committee, you need to select their riding name (e.g., Office of the Member for University–Rosedale) on the relevant lobbying target lists in the registration form.

The Benefits of a Primary Contact

Primary contacts are individuals who assist lobbyists and senior officers with managing their registrations.
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They work for entities, organizations or firms and can sometimes be lobbyists themselves.

If you have multiple registrations or several in-house lobbyists listed in your registration, a primary contact could be a great option.

There are many benefits to having a primary contact account:

  • Their account will be linked with one or more accounts, which means they can create and update registrations on behalf of lobbyists or a senior officer.
  • Once set up, they will receive the same registration renewal notices and other email correspondence as their associated lobbyists or senior officer.
  • They are the first point of contact when Office staff have questions about a registration.

Additionally, primary contacts at government relations firms have access to a handy feature: when a consultant lobbyist is added to a file and needs to file an initial registration for an existing client, they can copy an existing consultant lobbyist registration. This can save time, and it’s still possible to adjust the new registration if there are differences in the lobbying activity. Note: When a registration is copied, there are only two questions that will need to be answered as they are specific to the consultant lobbyist who is registering.

Remember! The Act is clear that lobbyists and senior officers are responsible for ensuring appropriate and accurate registration. Primary contacts exist to assist lobbyists, but they are not responsible for making sure they follow the law.

If you are interested in setting up a primary contact account, you can read the Office’s resource for primary contacts and contact the Office to get started.

Our new resource on registry tips is now available. Check this handy resource if you have general questions about navigating the registry.

Lobbyists Registry Tips